Im soft on the outside, you're soft on the inside
by Dr. Weymin
Summary: When Po is feeling down, he is comforted by the last person he expects. Then they realize that there is more to each other than they first thought. And after they really get to know each other, then they realize they need each other. Po X Tigress. Enjoy!
1. Tigress cares

Po stepped out into the cold dark night. A single lantern hung outside, giving off just enough yellow light to illuminate his large figure, but not enough to show the pained expression on his face, layered with shadows. He stood in a slumping position, with his neck hanging forward. With his eyes, he scanned for something durable that he could use as a punching bag. Nothing presented itself, so he sat down.

The Dragon Warrior had just been inside the emperor's palace, where the city council had been working with him, the furious five, and Master Shi-fu, discussing the best course to take in the aftermath of Lord Shen's destruction. There were buildings to fix, pots and pans to return, and many other technicalities.

And then there was the whole "famous" thing. Sure, he was the Dragon Warrior. The Warrior of Black and White. The savior of China. But did that mean he had to sleep in a palace? Even if it was only a short stay, it was already getting to him. Signing posters and action figures. Posing for kung fu portraits. Having servants who assumed and attended to his every need.

Now that they were in the city, things were different from the valley of peace. Po was not used to being treated like some celebrity, or low level god. But the five seemed perfectly okay with it. Like they had long ago grown accustomed to the fame and attention. But Po didn't like it one bit. It wasn't him. And it made him feel sick.

And so he sat alone at the side of the street, wondering whether he was even cut out for this kind of thing. The five were enjoying themselves back at the palace, talking and reminiscing, enjoying fine drinks and platters, and making bringing wise points up to the council.

Of course Po was expected to do the same thing. But he couldn't bring himself to. After so much of pretending that he felt perfectly fine, smiling like everything was ok, and hanging in the back stuffing his face with fine delicacies because he had nothing to say, he found he could take no more. He felt he was trapped in an environment by expectations that were set up for him.

The five were a team. An elite force, and inseparable friends. Did he really fit in with them? The idea was hard for Po to believe, given the situation. Not one "friend" said a single word to him. Po worked with them on a regular basis now, because he was the Dragon Warrior. But were they really his friends? If not, then what friends did he have?

It wasn't hard to sneak out of the palace building. All he had to do was walk casually to the door. Everybody was enjoying themselves, talking heartily in the middle of the room, and he was already hanging back from everybody. So nobody noticed his casual escape. Or even noticed that he was feeling out of place and hadn't said anything the entire night.

Though now that he thought about it, Po HAD received a couple of wide-eyed looks and worried glances from…

"TIGRESS!" Po shouted in surprise.

Po had glanced up to find Master Tigress standing right in front of him, bathed in the golden light from the lantern. She was looking down at him with a concerned expression on her face.

"Panda," She said.

"Whoaahahahahoooaa" Po stammered in surprise, while he scooted clumsily back on his butt. He kept scooting until his back reached the wall.

Tigress' eyebrows shifted into a confused expression. Then she padded up to where he now sat against the wall, and lowered herself to an arch-backed crouch until she was at his level. She looked at him with those glowing yellow eyes.

"What's bothering you Panda?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Wha-what would make you think that there's something bothering me?" Po said very quickly.

Tigress adopted a serious, disbelieving expression, looking him in the eye. Po's face began to look guilty trying to lie to his friend. Finally he looked away from her and said, "Fine. Everything's not okay. Okay?"

Tigress sat down next to him, and sat close. "What is it panda? You can tell me."

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><p><strong>Let me know how you like it by pressing the little review button!<strong>


	2. Rest your head on golden moments

**Sorry you guys! I know it has literally been forever. But i decided to return to fanfiction to continue this story. So... read on :)**

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><p>"You can tell me," said Tigress.<p>

Po stared down an alley. He took a deep breath. Maybe if he waited long enough, Tigress would go away. He moved his head slowly over his shoulder. No such luck. Tigress was still there, appearing more gold than orange in the light from the solitary lantern that hung above to eavesdrop on their tentative conversation.

Tigress sat down next to him, her lean body slumping against the wall.

Then she looked right into his eyes. Her pupils shifted a fraction to the left, then back to the right.

"Okay," said Po. "I just came out here because I couldn't be… in there." Po said, gesturing his head in the direction of the door. "All this time I thought I would be able to be the dragon warrior. But now I'm in a city, with lots of people. And they all expect me to be strong. And usually, I can…"

Po looked down.

"Not today?" Tigress asked gently.

"Today was harder," Po admitted. "I didn't feel like I fit in with you and the rest of the five."

Now it was Tigress' turn to look down.

"Really? Does it look like that?"

"Why?" Po asked.

"Because I… have never really fit in with the rest of the five," Tigress

"You!" Po said with sincere disbelief. "I'm the new guy, but you're practically the leader of the five! How do you not fit in?"

"I have always been kind of a loner" Tigress shrugged. Her words permeated through the cool night air.

"So… why did you come out here anyway?" Po asked, attempting to add some structure to the conversation.

"Because I realized that the room was missing a certain fluffy Panda that I like"

The fluffy Panda puzzled at the last three words. "That's funny. When I was up in that room with you and the rest of the five, I felt like nobody really liked me at all… people adore the dragon warrior, but I didn't feel like anybody really likes me for me…"

"I like you" Tigress purred quietly. The words slipped out of her mouth, and slid delicately down each whisker.

Tigress' voice had faded with the mellowing nature of the moment. In order to hear her better, Po slid right up next to her.

"You like me for me?" Asked Po. "What if I took off this mask, took these black markings off from around my eyes. What if I stopped being the warrior of black and white?"

"Then you would be neglecting your responsibility" Tigress said obviously

"No, but besides that, what would it make me?" Asked Po.

"Nothing different," Tigress smiled. "You would still be you."

The corner of Po's mouth moved up in a sideways smile.

The silence pervaded for a short minute.

Po asked "Is it ever hard for you Tigress? Dealing with the fame? Living up to being 'Master Tigress' of the furious five?"

"Very," Tigress responded wearily. "Sometimes it feels like I'm caring the whole of china on my shoulders… holding my head up high each day is something I have grown accustomed to, but many times it makes my neck so tired…"

"Why do you do it?" Po asked.

"There are people around…" mumbled Tigress.

Po was slightly surprised. He had never heard Tigress mumble before… but then again, he had never heard Tigress admit these things to anyone before either.

Po glanced unnecessarily at the consistent wash of gold light under the lantern.

"There are no people around now," Po said.

Tigress looked up. "You're here,"

"I'm a friend," Po said.

Tigress seemed to consider for a moment.

Po looked down with new eyes at the slender figure slumping right beside him.

"Its okay Tigress," Po whispered. "Rest your head,"

For one moment she did not move. Then she slowly tipped her head onto his shoulder.

Po felt the gentle weight of Tigress' head. He felt different. Po didn't move a muscle. He did not want to disturb the delicate position that had just… happened. He looked up at the stars with his eyes, not moving his head. For that golden moment, everything was okay. Things were …nice.

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><p><strong>Please leave a review if you liked this chapter, or have ideas for the next chapters. I am seriously open to suggestions. Thanks for reading! :)<strong>


	3. Trouble

**Great reviews you guys, thanks! Very insightful feedback! I'm glad to hear i was missed. Well, here's something for you guys to read. Hope you like it.**

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><p>Po relaxed against the wall, breathing the fresh night air. What started out as a pretty bad night ended up surfacing some new developments.<p>

The weight of Tigress' head on his shoulder was comforting and appreciated. It was light and soft, and the fluffy fur on her cheeks spread down under her head.

Po glanced down at Master Tigress. Her eyes were open, and staring right back up into his. Tigress had always been Po's favorite, ever since he was a young child. He knew all of the facts and statistics about her. He could recite her punch power, her favorite fight routines, the basis of her kung fu style, her kick reach, how high she could jump, and every other scrap of Tigress trivia that could be found in the Kung Fu Scrolls at the Valley of peace.

By more than one author, she had been described as fearless, hard core, tough, and impenetrable, on a physical and emotional level. She was someone you could never crack, let alone get under her skin.

Yet here she was, looking up into his eyes, with a slight smile that bore no resemblance to her hardened warrior face at all. Looking into those eyes without guarded suspicion or the ferocity of battle, Po realized that there was much more to tigress than what was in the scrolls.

He already knew about how she had trouble making friends at the orphanage she grew up in, and was adopted by master Shifu.

But he knew that there was more to her than that. Looking into those golden almond shaped eyes, there had to be.

"Tigress?" Said Po

"Yes Po?" She said quietly.

"There's something I want to ask you,"

"Ask it" Tigress said simply.

Po began, "Well,"

Suddenly, the doors burst open, and out came Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane.

"Po! Tigress!" Called Monkey as he exited the building.

"Oh…" Said Mantis as he turned and saw Tigress and Po.

Tigress' eyes flashed wide in a nervous expression. Po raised his eyebrows.

The four stared in confusion. Crane's jaw dropped all the way open with a creak.

Viper craned her neck forward and blinked. Her eyes moved from Tigress to Po, then back to Tigress.

"Umm," Said Viper slowly. "What are you guys doing?"

Po opened his mouth to answer, but Tigress quickly replied, "I was teaching Po the headlock escape form,"

Po looked confused for a second. Tigress cast him a meaningful pleading look, and Po said, "Oh yeah, yeah. That's what we were doing. The headlock escape form, developed by master Hong Jao in the...,"

Rest of the furious five stared. Mantis twitched his antennae, and made a cricket noise.

"…Fourth dynasty," finished Po.

After a brief silence, Po realized he was expected to put Tigress in a headlock. So he wrapped his arm around her neck.

As soon as he did, Tigress flipped him over her, slipped out of the headlock by twisting his arm, and after she held him to the wall with his arms behind his back, she swung him around and kicked him into the air with a loud "Hiaa!"

Po landed hard on the ground and groaned in pain.

"Well, that was… impressive," commented Master Crane. "I think we can all agree that it was good technique…"

Nobody responded, so Crane ruffled his feathers. Tigress got up from her fighter's stance, and after looking at everyone, walked purposefully away.

"Wait!" said Viper. "We came to tell you something!"

"What!" snapped Tigress, annoyed.

"We just found out that we're needed in the village of Lamb Chen, not far from here,"

"What?" asked Po. "Autographs? Parades?"

"No," Said Shifu. Everyone turned around in surprised, as Shifu had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "No parades this time…" He said with and edge in his voice. "Now there's trouble."

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><p><strong>I thought i would add a twist to the plot, as far as "trouble" and also keep things dynamic to seeing what happens when the rest of the five walk in on them. These are just ideas. I may develop on them further, as a little teasing thing to have fun with. What do you guys think, as far as these ideas and any others you guys have?<strong>


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